by Meg Muldoon
Kara felt a little nauseous as the psychic confirmed her worst fears.
“There’s a spirit of a young boy attached to the nutcracker,” Evelda continued. “The doll was his before it was taken away and sold during the war – just like the estate saleswoman told you. The witch kept the boy’s spirit trapped in this doll, and that’s why he cries.”
Now Kara knew why the nutcracker’s eyes were so sad.
“How do we help him?” Kara asked.
The psychic handed her a small bottle of soil.
“Sprinkle this around him and say ‘you are free’ three times in a row tonight at midnight. This will allow the boy to cross over into the light.”
Kara took the soil, nodded thanks, and then handed the psychic a check for her hourly rate.
***
Kara waited that night in the shop, listening to the sound of the wind howl outside.
The rain had turned to ice and the trees had frozen right in place. Every time the wind blew, their branches groaned and creaked like a sinking ship.
When midnight rolled around, Kara went over to the nutcracker, sprinkled the soil around, and whispered “you are free” three times in a row.
When she finished, she felt the heavy energy of the shop lift.
She let out a sigh of relief, kneeling for a moment to look at the nutcracker. His mouth was hanging open, the way it always was, ready to crack a nut.
“You’re free now, little boy,” she said, putting a hand up to its cheek. “Go your way in peace—”
The nutcracker’s jaw sprang up suddenly without warning.
Then, the lights in the shop went out.
Kara screamed and ran out into the storm.
Chapter 5
The Next Day…
Cinnamon placed the nutcracker in the display window of her shop. She stepped back to get a better look at him.
No. That wasn’t quite right either.
She’d been having trouble finding just the right place for the old nutcracker.
Maybe by the door, she thought.
She picked him up, and as she did, something floated down to the floor.
It was a golden, weathered sticker that said “Gaunerei, Made in Germany.”
She flipped the nutcracker upside down and was about to re-apply the sticker to its base when she noticed something else.
The sticker had been covering up another one.
The original sticker.
“Holiday Crafts Inc., Product of California, 2008.”
Cinnamon smiled sadly as she put two and two together.
Poor Kara had gotten swindled at the estate sale. Maybe that was why she’d given Cinnamon the nutcracker out of the blue that morning, saying she wanted nothing more to do with it. Kara probably didn’t want it after finding out it was a fake.
But it didn’t matter to Cinnamon whether the nutcracker was an original or not. He had character and spunk and would be a useful addition to her pie shop. She had noticed that his jaw was a little warped and could snap up without warning, but other than that, he did a good job cracking nuts.
Cinnamon set the nutcracker down by the front door and tossed the golden sticker in the trashcan. She backed away to get a good look at it.
Yes, she thought. Now that was the perfect place for him.
She dusted her hands off on her apron and headed back to the kitchen to finish making a batch of chocolate hazelnut pies.
The End
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The Meg Muldoon Collection
The Christmas River Cozy Mystery Series
Murder in Christmas River: A Christmas Cozy Mystery (Book 1)
Mayhem in Christmas River: A Christmas Cozy Mystery (Book 2)
Madness in Christmas River: A Christmas Cozy Mystery (Book 3)
Malice in Christmas River: A Christmas Cozy Mystery (Book 4)
Mischief in Christmas River: A Christmas Cozy Mystery (Book 5)
Manic in Christmas River: A Christmas Cozy Mystery (Book 6)
Magic in Christmas River: A Christmas Cozy Mystery (Book 7)
Menace in Christmas River: A Christmas Cozy Mystery (Book 8)
Missing in Christmas River: A Christmas Cozy Mystery (Book 9)
Meltdown in Christmas River: A Christmas Cozy Mystery (Book 10)
The Christmas River Cozy Mystery Novella Series
Roasted in Christmas River: A Christmas Cozy Mystery Novella (Book 1)
Caught in Christmas River: A Christmas Cozy Mystery Novella (Book 2)
Crushed in Christmas River: A Christmas Cozy Mystery Novella (Book 3)
The Cozy Matchmaker Mystery Series
Burned in Broken Hearts Junction: A Cozy Matchmaker Mystery (Book 1)
Busted in Broken Hearts Junction: A Cozy Matchmaker Mystery (Book 2)
The Dog Town USA Cozy Mystery Series
Mutts & Murder: A Dog Town USA Cozy Mystery Series (Book 1)
Bulldogs & Bullets: A Dog Town USA Cozy Mystery Series (Book 2)
The Holly Hopewell Cozy Mystery Series
The Silence of the Elves: A Holly Hopewell Cozy Mystery Series
The Broomfield Bay Mystery Series (with Jools Sinclair)
Ginger of the West: A Witches of Broomfield Bay Mystery (Book 1)
About the Author
Bestselling Author Meg Muldoon loves writing cozy mysteries. A former small town news reporter, Meg has always had a special place in her heart for lost dogs, homeless cats, and feisty old locals. She enjoys bourbon bread pudding, red cowboy boots and craft glue guns.
Originally from Central Oregon, Meg lives in Arizona with a cattle dog named Huckleberry.
For more about Meg and her upcoming books, join her on Facebook, visit her Blog, or check out her new Website!
To sign up for the Meg Muldoon new book alert mailing list, and to get Meg’s Cozy Corner newsletters, click here.
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